Kota Kinabalu weather in August
In August, Kota Kinabalu has daytime highs averaging 29 °C, nights around 24 °C, with 20 wet days, and a sea temperature of 30 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 29.3°C Average high
- 24.3°C Average low
- 20days Wet days
- 195mm Rainfall
- 29.9°C Sea temperature
- 12h Daylight
Daily temperatures through August
How August develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 August | 29.5 °C | 24.3 °C | 59 % |
| 11–20 August | 29.3 °C | 24.3 °C | 65 % |
| 21–31 August | 29.3 °C | 24.2 °C | 68 % |
- Rain is most likely over days 21–31 of August (68 % of days) and least likely over days 1–10 (59 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical August | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 31 of 31 | 100 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 9.2 of 31 | 30 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 20 of 31 | 64 % |
Conditions in August
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 27 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 33 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | 23 °C |
| Relative humidity | 83 % |
| Wind speed | 10.0 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 85 % |
Where Kota Kinabalu ranks in August
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Warmest sea temperatures in Asia in August | 34thof 50 | 30 °C |
| Warmest sea temperatures in the world in August | 46thof 50 | 30 °C |
August compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| June | 29.3 °C | 218 mm | 86 % |
| July | 29.1 °C | 188 mm | 86 % |
| August | 29.3 °C | 195 mm | 85 % |
| September | 29.0 °C | 197 mm | 86 % |
| October | 28.3 °C | 277 mm | 88 % |
See all twelve months for Kota Kinabalu
- August is the 2nd warmest month here.
- It is the 5th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 7th for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 12 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 20 of 31 days — 64 % of the month.
- Nights are about 5.1 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest August day on record since 1991 reached 33 °C, 3.7 °C above the usual daytime high.
- Beach score: 65 / 100 — see how this is calculated.
Nearby destinations in August
| Destination | Avg high | Wet days | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kota Kinabalu | 29 °C | 20 | 30 |
| Bandar Seri Begawan | 30 °C | 20 | 30 |
| Sandakan | 30 °C | 26 | 30 |
| Tawau | 29 °C | 28 | 29 |
| Miri | 29 °C | 23 | 30 |
| Tarakan | 29 °C | 27 | 29 |
| Bintulu | 31 °C | 24 | 30 |
| Puerto Princesa | 29 °C | 26 | 29 |
QuestionsAugust in Kota Kinabalu, answered
How warm is Kota Kinabalu in August?
Daily highs average 29 °C and nights fall to about 24 °C, a spread of 5.1 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes August the 4th warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Kota Kinabalu in August?
August averages 195 mm of rain, spread over about 20 of the 31 days — 64 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 85 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in August?
The sea averages 30 °C off Kota Kinabalu in August. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in August?
Kota Kinabalu averages 12 hours between sunrise and sunset in August. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.